Help with previous employer references question on application form.....

[VanillaPumpkin]

I am filling in an application after over 5 years as a SAHM.
The form asks for two employment references and one must be the most recent employer.
My most recent job was for a month cleaning at the pre-school to fill a gap while we were waiting for someone to take the role on full time. It went through the books so does this have to be my most recent employment????
Or can it be the office job I had prior to that which will obviously give me a much more relevant reference?????

Bump...

I would put the most relevant one.

Good luck

Go with the most relevant one, the one that will most likely give you the fullest, most positive reference.

Thank you! Good. That makes sense to me as the cleaning was more of a favour than a job iyswim. Just not sure how strict the rules are.

There are not so much rules, as guidelines, as in they dont want you to give your two best friends who will vouch for you being an absolute genius in every area!

The character reference gives an indication of you as a person, your employer reference gives an indication of the kind of employee you might be, sick days, punctuality, attitude to work, skills, strengths, weaknesses. For that reason, the most relevant is best, as it will be more likely to reflect your working habits, rather than a short job where they wont know much about you.

Good luck!

Is it me, or if you need two employment references, one of which must be most recent, that means you can have both...?

Flowery, you are right of course.
The wording is:
'Please give details of two referees whom we may ask about your suitability for the job. These references must both be employment references, and must include your current or most recent employer'
Part of me would rather put the last two office jobs I had, but actually because of the career break they are probably going back too far in time. They probably won't even be able to track my old bosses down. So perhaps I will put the cleaning job down too. Surely it will show me as a team player and keen not to let people down etc etc.
I have just read through one of my old reports which has given me a much needed ego boost. Just the form to challenge now.
Thanks ladies and thanks for the good luck. I am very unlikely to get the job as the competition will be very stiff, but actually doing the form is good experience for me.

Hi VanillaPumpkin,

Don't be so sure that you won't get it - I am going back to work next Monday after 7 yrs at home, and I was like you - didn't know what to put on the form, didn't think I would get it - but I did! Like you say, even if you don't, it is all good experience for when the 'right' job comes along. Good luck!